Splendor of Dynamic Structure: Celebrating 75 Years of the American Abstract Artists

“Our purpose is to
unite abstract artists residing in the United States, to bring before the
public their individual works, and in every possible way foster public
appreciation for this direction in painting and sculpture. We believe that a
new art form has been established which is definite enough in character to
demand this united effort.”
—From the preface to the 1938 catalogue of the American Abstract Artists’
second annual exhibition

It was 1936, and the
country was in the middle of the Great Depression. Though most public
presentations of art were conservative, capturing the subdued tone of a nation
under economic siege, the Museum of Modern Art mounted the first exhibition of
cubist and abstract art—but neglected American artists working in this vein.
Angry, many of these artists formed a support network, led by Carl Holty, Harry
Holtzman, and George L. K. Morris, and they began to meet informally at the
studio of Ibram Lassaw, discussing ways to change the perception of their work
and to bring more attention to their ideas and ideals. One can imagine the
energy, the vibrant talk, the vigorous camaraderie that developed during these
evenings. And in 1937, this informal group exhibited together for the first
time at the Squibb Gallery on 57th Street as the American Abstract Artists.

These were heady
days, and the success of their first exhibition led to a growth in membership,
more exhibitions, lectures, and catalogues. Many years later, one of the
original members, Esphyr Slobodkina, remembered, “Critical opinion was about
equally divided between scathing denunciations and benign curiosity.” Not
discouraged, the group thrived though the critics remained hostile, culminating
in 1940 when the group formed a picket line in front of the Museum of Modern
Art, protesting the lack of recognition and respect by such institutions.

During World War II,
European artists Piet Mondrian, Fernand Lèger, and László Moholy-Nagy emigrated
to America and found a sympathetic community among the members of the AAA. Mondrian became a member of the group and was something of a spiritual mentor to many of them, along with Hans Hofmann, who never joined, but whose inspirational teaching spawned a new generation of like-minded artists. In the 1950s, the more robust abstraction of
Mondrian was replaced by a quiet stillness, particularly evident in the work
and writings of artists like Ad Reinhardt and Burgoyne Diller. While
abstraction seemed to be moving in new directions, the longevity of the group
itself can be attributed to its lack of dogma, rejection of any party line or
adherence to any manifestoes, and a general open enthusiasm for abstract art in
all its variations.

Despite changes
within the membership as well as in the art world, the AAA has continued strong
for seventy-five years, a testament to the nurture and care of these artists
who strongly believe that the abstract impulse can happily encompass diverse
approaches and identities, from the dynamic structural symmetry of Mondrian, to
a biomorphic, surrealist-inspired abstraction, to the rigid, grid-like forms of
neoplasticism. This exhibition celebrates this achievement.

We are grateful to
the Wolf Kahn and Emily Mason Foundation and the Cornell Council for the Arts
for their support of this exhibition.